With a 0 to 60 mph sprint in as quick as 2.6 seconds, you might have a hard time outrunning Rivian’s electric SUV. Soon, it will be hitting the streets after the Palo Alto police department debuted the patrol-ready R1S, Rivian’s first police cruiser.
Rivian’s first EV police cruiser debuts in Palo Alto
The R1S is already an impressive SUV inside and out. The electric SUV has up to 410 miles range, 850 horsepower, and enough room to fit seven comfortably.
However, it’s much more than just your average vehicle (EV or gas-powered). Rivian calls the electric SUV an “adventure vehicle” for a reason. It can plow through 43″ (3.5 feet) of water with more ground clearance (up to 14.9″) than the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon and outrun a sports car. The R1S even has more interior space than a Ford Explorer.
Soon, it will be patrolling the streets of Palo Alto. During his “State of the City” speech this week, Palo Alto Mayor Ed Lauing debuted Rivian’s first EV police cruiser.
Although the R1S still needs some adjustments, including a light bar, push bar, and other upgrades, you can see the Palo Alto police badge on the side of the black-and-white model.
Lauing applauded Rivian for its “relentless technical innovation,” comparing it to that of Palo Alto. He told the over 150 attendees (via Palo Alto Online), “The electric car was created years before Rivian first shipped their EV, but Rivian wanted to be the best EV in the future, not the first EV of the past,” adding “That sounds a lot like Palo Alto to me.”
Despite concerns over the changes under the Trump administration, Lauing said that choosing Rivian was not in response to the event held at the White House last week, which was basically an infomercial for Tesla.
The decision to go with Rivian was planned weeks before Trump and Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s ad at the White House.
Rivian’s engineers are working with the city to obtain the additional equipment. Since the company that makes it is smaller, Capt. James Reifschneider expects it could be a few months before it hits the streets.
He said the R1S police cruiser can reach a maximum speed of around 130 mph and has more interior space than the department’s current Ford Explorer and Jeep Durango.
What do you think of the patrol-ready R1S? Let us know in the comments. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see Rivian’s EV police cruisers reach other departments across the US soon.
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